Code Lyoko: Race Against Time
by The.Harlequin99
Summary: XANA's been defeated and the Lyoko warriors can finally enjoy a normal life. But XANA has other plans. Once again they find themselves dragged back into Lyoko but things have changed and XANA isn't the only obstacle. The count down has started and when it hits 0, the world as we know it may be over. Read & Review and enjoy :D


The wind whipped through the air like the sting of the insults from your lover. The constant crunch of feet on fields and mound upon mound of sand echoed in the emptiness of this desert. A loan man, rather a teenager was wondering through the dessert. He was wearing a samurai's clothing minus armor. An Oni was drawn on his back and the clothing was largely colored yellow and black. A sword and sheathe were at his hip. A cloak was wrapped around his neck a hood drawn over his head as it swirled around him from the winds.

Ulrich had been following a set of foot prints that stopped as he crested this mound of sand and had a clear view all around him. The dessert sector had changed in the five years he had last seen the place. In the past it was just a barren wasteland with a few dozen plateaus dotting the area with the occasional drop that went into the cavern like second level. Now it was just one giant rolling sea of sand with something like a palace in the distance. It was giant, like the TajMahal but even from here he could see the eye branded into the face of the palace. It was just a blip in the distance from where he stood. He shook his head slowly trying to remember what had happened before he found himself in the desert.

After they graduated KadicYumi and Ulrich went to the public high school called Spade High. Ulrich without scholarship money was left with that as his only choice. Yumi had made the choice to wait so that she could start school with him. It wasn't much more than average but it had the same homey feeling that Kadic brought. Odd had thought about going as well but his family had decided to move at the end of the year, to live with family in London. They still talked as often as possible. The two Einstein's of course had scholarships and both went to the same Ivy League school.

School had just ended for the day. He and Yumi were going to celebrate their two year anniversary. Funnily it had taken them almost three years after Lyoko shut down and one year after the graduated Kadic to get together. Things weren't picture perfect, they'd come close to breaking up twice, but they pulled through in the end. And honestly they couldn't be happier.

Breaking out of the crowd of students who talked eagerly to one another the couple held hands still embarrassed about the PDA thing. Ulrich glanced at her and smiled a little making Yumi blush just seeing that. "So, now that's schools over what's your big plan for us now?" Yumi asked starting to tease him a little bit.

He looked away hiding his blush. He hated how easily he blushed. She loved it. Raising his finger to her lip she winked. "Let's keep it a surprise for now for now" His cheeks were rosy but the effect was still enough to make her look down and giggle. He'd have to thank Odd for that little move. Since shutting down XANA Yumi had softened up quite a bit.

He pulled her gently and started walking out of the courtyard of their school going towards the summer 'd gone every year since starting high school. It just so happened that he asked her to be his girlfriend at the same festival. It hadn't taken long for them to fall into that little world that couples tended to fall into when they were alone together. It had been so long in coming that when they'd finally gotten together they fell into their love hard.

It was a cute anniversary date. Ulrich was even cliche enough to win her a teddy bear carrying a box of hearts. Ulrich suggested going on the Ferris wheel but Yumi shook her head instead taking his hand. "Where are you taking me?" he asked frowning at her.

She raised her finger to her lips and winked at him. Smiling warily but jokingly he allowed her to lead the way. It was far away from the carnival onto the river that flowed through their little town. Sidewalk became grass and the grass gave way to shore. This was almost the exact same place that Ulrich had asked her to be his two years ago. The air was crisp and the moon was starting to rise in the sky. He craned his neck back and of course there was the tree where they'd spent a number afternoons and nights smiling, laughing, kissing and more. He smiled looking down at the water and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Not a bad choice is it?"

"No. Not bad at all"

Both turned to stare into the others eyes, leaning slowly into each other's embrace the distance between their lips growing shorter and shorter. It was Ulrich who saw the shadow before it struck out at them. Grabbing Yumi he spun her around as it latched onto him. The shadow was the same as a gelatinous blob of grey matter. In engulfed Ulrich completely as he struggled against it heavily unable to move his legs.

"Ulrich!" she screamed trying to drag and pull it off him but it wasn't working. It just clung to him tighter the more he struggled.

He kicked and punched at the inside when he gasped. "No" Staring right at him was that evil red eye, the eye that belong to the computer program they had thought they put back and buried into their past five years ago.

It glowed an almost Neon color and split off taking Yumi in the same blob. "Yumi, no!" They struggled against it together reaching out for one another in a vain attempt. They had fought this long to be together. If they were going to die they would do it together.

The glow began to grow brighter and brighter as their hands reached out for another. They got closer and closer. Their fingers tips touched for only a second when the light flashed bright like an explosion and both former Lyoko warriors were gone.

That was the last thing he remembered before waking up in this dessert. Disorientated and afraid he searched for Yumi blinded finding nothing but sand the burning sunlight. It took him only a few moments to realize that he was wearing his old Lyoko gear along with a cloak. Turning a hand to the sky he saw the sun and saw it as the sun with XANA's eye branded onto the surface. Floating above that sun was the number 12. Beside the spot was where the tracks began and so did his trek.

Now as he stared at the palace from the hill he took a deep breath and started walking again. Holding his hand in front of his face his fingers curled down accept his index and middle his eyes closed. Leaning forward he jumped into the air pulling his legs into the ground for a flip planting them down firm on the sand, a move that had a time became second nature to him. "Super Sprint"

In seconds he became nothing but a blur of movement on the dessert plane a golden streak flowing behind him. The world moved like a movie in slow motion, him speeding through the slowed down world. Initially the only thing he saw was the palace in the distance but slowly it became clear that the palace was just out there alone. Two dark black spheres were seated together unmoving. He smirked. "I love Megatanks"

He watched as each ball turned just a fraction of a degree and opened suddenly. The eye in the center of their bodies began to glow and charge quickly. His eyes went wide as half circle shaped wall of pure energy shot outward straight at him. Digging his heels in his sprint ended and he began to skid as both walls of energy tore through the sand coming straight toward him.

Raising his hands up the energy walls crossed paths just barely a few inches away from the samurai. Panting at how close that he been he composed himself and drew the katana getting ready. It took a few seconds but the energy walls receded back into the tanks. He ran going toward the one on the left.

The tank on the right adjusted itself gathering energy in seconds before firing another wall. Ulrich kept his eye on it sprinting at the last second missing it by a hair. The second tank focused on him opening the up and charging for another attack.

It released its blast and slashed the dessert like it were butter and the blast were a hot knife. "Triplicate" Where there was one, now there were three and they each veered off two moving to the right and one to the left of the blast. The distance between them and the left tank began to shrink. The right side tank shot off a blast slicing through the sand to hit the duo of Ulrich's.

They didn't glance back or at the wall. Instead they both jumped one doing a half way flip and landing on a handstand. The second landed feet perfectly against the others. The first kicked him into the air as the second jumped hard sending him flying through the air. The first flipped onto his feet and sprinted after them to avoid the blast of the right Megatanks laser.

The original watched his clones for a moment before sprinting around their target. Sheathing his sword in mid motion he shoved his shoulder into the tanks now close armor sending it rolling toward the duo. The second clone still air borne drew his sword ready to thrust it into the eye when it opened. Rolling sideways the tank popped open and sent a horizontal laser toward them.

The first clones eyes went wide and he slid down to get as low to the ground as he could. The second swung his legs through the air turning a simple flip into a cartwheel and landing on top of the tank forcing its sides closed ending the laser's attack. The first got onto his feet and started sprinting as fast as he could knowing that the second's weight wouldn't keep it closed.

The first was in striking distant when the tank popped open like a spring. Eyes wide he drew that blade and thrust it as fast as he could into the bright orange eye. "Impact" It exploded seconds after the sword pierced the tank skidding away from them. The trio turned and faced the final tank all of their swords drawn.

The tank turned facing the center clone but they were already in mid sprint. The tank fired its laser missing them each by a wide margin. They touched their own points on the tank and began to run around it forming a neat triangle. The tank swerved turning slowly around trying to locate the real one. It fired at the bottom right of the triangle but the clone moved evading the blast. The first clone dashed into the tank kicking it's eye and sending it spinning into the other two. They ran at the tank sprinting fast drawing their swords together and cutting a neat X into the eye.

They slid to a stop behind the tank as it exploded into shards of data before fading away. "Fusion" Three became one and Ulrich sheathed his blade turning to face the palace. It was larger than he initially thought, so tall that it blocked out the sun creating a large shadow. Slowly he walked toward it feeling like it was would have the answers his mind craved so badly.

As his feet took him to the stone steps of the palace he felt something shift around him. Turning to survey around him he narrowed his eyes, trying to find out what had spooked him but all he saw was sand and more sand. Frowning he turned to face the palace again.

"_Die!_" Eyes going wide he just dodged getting his head cleaved in two by the huge corrupted broadsword as it clipped his shoulders. Hopping backwards he grabbed his shoulder grunting in pain.

Laughing in his strangely echoing voice the former Lyoko warrior hefted the great blade walking toward him and shaking his head. "_Ulrich. Ulrich. Ulrich. What're you doing out here all by yourself? Shouldn't you be with your little crew?_" William taunted.

"William. Where's Yumi?" he growled in his calm but angry voice.

"_Yumi? I have no idea what you're talking about_" He smirked his eyes flashing XANA's as he held the sword in front of him. "I'd be more worried about you. Super Smoke" Falling into the ground suddenly he turned into living smoke surging toward him.

Drawing his sword Ulrich ducked as the warrior hopped back into existence behind him. Slashing the blade over where he'd been, he angled the sword around slamming it down into the sand. Ulrich dashed at him thrusting his blade forward. William dragged the brought sword up hitting it against the center.

"_What's wrong? That was so weak I thought maybe Odd had swung that_"

Ulrich grunted and spun around swing the sword around in a full circle going for his opposite side. William stepped forward shoving his shoulder into Ulrich's hurt shoulder knocking him back. Stumbling Ulrich gasped feeling the pain, not just on Lyoko, like a real wound. William slashed at him and he blocked it staggering backwards from the crushing blow. Smirking XANA's warrior swung the sword again crashing it into his sword driving Ulrich to his knees knocking the sword from his hands.

"_Looks like this is the end for you, I'll tell Yumi how pathetically you lost_" Growling turning into a shout Ulrich pushed his hand into the ground swinging around and sweeping William off his feet.

Jumping aside he picked up his downed sword and jumped into the air. He angled the blade point down to drive it through his former comrades chest. His sword met steal and Ulrich's eyes widened.

His sword was being blocked by a small thin blade. It was attached to a gauntlet by someone dressed in all white robes and leggings. A hood was pulled over his face so only his mouth was visible. One bladed hand had blocked Ulrich's sword while the second, also bladed, was thrust at him. "Triplicate!" The move was sudden the first clone was struck in the chest as Ulrich and the Second skipped back.

It devirtualized into data, leaving Ulrich and his clone to face the white and black warriors. William growled getting to his feet and grabbed the collar of the white robed stranger. "_I could have handle him Nero_"

"Not from where I stood" he responded and his voice was oddly normal, a little cold but sounded like a human voice. He shoved William's hand away turning a glance to Ulrich. "XANA wants us back. Now"

William grunted walking to pick up his broadsword and turned to point it at Ulrich. "_We're not done Stern. Not by a longshot. I'll tell Yumi hi for you_"

Ulrich shouted and dashed at them but they both used Super Smoke and flew down the dessert too fast for him to catch. Grunting he swore to himself while walking to pick up his sword. He and the clone used Fusion once more and Ulrich turned toward the palace. Now more than ever he felt the need to save her. Nothing was going to get in his way of that. He glanced back up at the sky and noticed the 12 had become a 10.


End file.
